ABSTRACT Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) for the first six months of infants’ lives is a cost effective intervention which can avert 13-15% of the 9 million deaths of children under 5 years old in resource poor settings. In areas where HIV prevalence is high, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, EBF has the added advantage of reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV. However, EBF rates have been shown to be lower in resource poor settings, than the World Health Organizatio...
ABSTRACT While cost, inadequate supplies and training remain the major barriers to manage Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) globally, the knowledge and skill of clinical officers (CO) to manage patients with hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus (HTN&T2DM) remain poorly understood. This study investigated knowledge and skills of COs to care for patients with HTN&T2DM in rural healthcare facilities in Kisumu County, Kenya. The study determined ability to assess risk factors, examination, in...
ABSTRACT In Kenya knowledge of Family Planning (FP) is universal at 95% but this is not translating to utilization in Obunga slums. The rapid increase of population has got adverse effects on the economy as poverty levels are high at poverty incidence of 74% compared to 63% in Nyalenda A and B and 53% in Manyatta. Despite various strategies put by the government, in Obunga, unmet need is at 32% and Total Fertility Rate at 7%, the unplanned and unwanted pregnancies at 50% and 75% respectively....
ABSTRACT Serum electrolytes disorders in HIV patients in addition to resulting from disease induced fluids losses or accumulation could be attributed to a wide range of structural defects of cellular apparatus, tissue or organs of regulation. Most routine clinical investigation of impaired serum electrolytes in HIV infection limit attribution to body fluids charges and to primary organs of regulations. Such investigations do not address the likelihood of existence of multiple regulatory organ...
Objective: To determine the perinatal mortality rate in Lagos University Teaching Hospital at the close of the 20th century. Materials and Methods: Routinely collected data from the Departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Paediatrics from January 1996 to December 2000, were analysed. The data included total deliveries, stillbirths and early neonatal deaths. Results: A total of 6,759 deliveries, including 163 multiple pregnancies, occurred during the period. There were 573 perinatal deaths...
ABSTRACT In Kenya, maternal and under-five mortality rates are high at 510/100 000 live births and 74/1000 live births respectively. This is attributed to poor Maternal and Child Health (MCH) outcomes reported across the country. In Mwingi, 38% of women do not seek Focused Antenatal Care (FANC), 55% deliver without Skilled Birth Care (SBC), 47.3% do not ensure their children complete immunization program, and 55.5% of infants are not exclusively breastfed. Since inception of Community Health ...
ABSTRACT Little is known about cardiac surgery-associated acute kidney injury (CS-AKI) in children in developing regions of the world. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of CS- AKI, associated factors and its impact on mortality and utilization of hospital services. The hospital records of children aged 0–17 years who underwent CS at an Indian hospital were reviewed. CS-AKI was defined as a rise in serum creatinine of ≥0.3 mg/dL in any 48 h and or by urine output
ABSTRACT Clinicians are becoming increasingly interested in the use of exercise training to enhance functional outcomes and improve physiological parameters after stroke. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of exercise training on walking function and selected cardiovascular parameters of adult patients with stroke. Sixty-seven (67) stroke subjects comprising 36 men and 31 women participated in the study. They were randomly assigned to two exercise groups (A and B) and a co...
ABSTRACT Blood pressure is consistently higher in males compared with females from puberty onwards and men show an increased risk for hypertension compared to women. The gender disparity in cardiovascular functions and diseases has been linked to the effect of sex hormones on vascular reactivity. Although previous studies have suggested that the effect of chronic exposure to testosterone is an increase in vascular tone, it therefore implies that lack of testosterone should elicit vasorelaxat...
ABSTRACT Introduction: Prematurity is the major cause of neonatal death world-wide, Namibia included. In Namibia, the neonatal mortality has increased dramatically from 19 deaths per 1000 live births in 2000 to 30 deaths per 1000 live birth in 2014. Objectives: To determine the survival rate of premature and critically sick new-born babies and assess the risk factors associated with death of these babies (premature babies – are babies born before 37 weeks of gestation, counting from the fi...
ABSTRACT Transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) especially, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV) and syphilis (Treponema pallidum) are a constant threat to blood safety for recipients. Globally, about 1.6 million blood units are destroyed annually owing to TTIs seropositivity, of which 10% is discarded in sub-Saharan Africa. In Kenya, despite of a series of safety improvements in blood donations among them rigorous pre-donation screening an...
ABSTRACT End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) is a global public health problem. Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) has over 200 hemodialysis patients with nearly 2/3rd struggling with dietary and fluid adherence. This study assessed determinants of diet and fluid adherence among ERSD undergoing hemodialysis at MTRH. A quantitative cross-sectional study design was conducted from 1st April to 16th May 2018. A sample size of 145 participants who were on HD twice weekly were conveniently recrui...
Abstract Background: There has been a marked increase in people with disability all over the world including Tanzania. Consequently, the psychiatric disabled people are not healthily maintained, become apathetic, have difficult in trouble coping, are discriminated against, are not integrated into local communities, and most of them face massive unemployment. To address this condition of psychiatric disability, the Tanzanian government established Mirembe psychiatric hospital and Hombolo reh...
Abstract Background: Sickle cell anaemia (SCA) is associated with growth failure. However, recent reports indicate high rates of overweight or obesity among children with SCA in developed countries. It is unclear whether overweight or obesity is also common in children with SCA in developing countries. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of overweight or obesity, wasting and stunting and identify predictors of wasting and stunting among children with SCA in Nigeria. ...
ABSTRACT Inadequate and erratic rainfall in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs) of Kenya that are accompanied by long dry spells lead to drought. This leads to low feed availability. Inadequate quality and quantity of feeds is the major constraint to livestock production in the ASALs of Kenya. It is the major input factor to livestock production and accounts for 60-70% of the production cost. There is therefore a need to introduce climate smart forage species in order to expand the forage re...